Oldie, but Goodie

November 2008
Forgotten, but rediscovered.
Definitely a favorite.

BTW, Happy 11th Month Birthday, BG!

Baring the Shelves

Two years ago this week I moved into then Matt's townhouse. (For those of you doing the math, yes I moved in before Matt and I got married, but it was all on the up-and-up: Matt moved into the guest bedroom and I stayed in the master with my mother. Yes. My MOTHER. :-).) He had been living there nearly a year with a handful of other bachelor guys. Yeah.

Since that time, I merely scooted all my food items into the pantry and that was that. Until last week. Spurred on by some spring cleaning posts, I decided to empty the pantry, clean it, and start from scratch. How fun.

Meanwhile... two hours later...

I was thrilled with the results! First of all, I didn't know I could store so much in such a skinny little pantry. Second, I didn't know so much spoiled food could hide there! Two of my more interesting artifacts were a 2005 box of graham crackers and a 2006 bottle of white grapefruit juice. Yum. I blame Matt. I don't drink grapefruit juice.

Now we have nothing but good food in there and lots of extra space. And no grapefruit juice. Yippee!

A new outlet for self-expression?

I stumbled across a new collaborative web-publishing site today and fell in love. Not quite sure what to do with this new-found interest, but it certainly could be promising. :-) Anyone ever heard of iScribd before?

Cheaper Diapers...

Who doesn't enjoy cheaper diapers now and again? I know I certainly grab them up when I can find them at a reduced price. While I typically do my diaper shopping at CVS, I recently found a relatively good deal at diapers.com! What's even better is that the diapers are delivered quickly (1-2 business days) right to your doorstep. Awesome.

To score the deal, simply log onto diapers.com and select $50 worth of diapers (most jumbo packs are currently on sale right now - although they aren't as cheap as I can get them at CVS, combined with the following transaction they are significantly cheaper) and head to the checkout. In the promotional code box, enter UNDE4330 to receive $10 off your order.

Once your diapers arrive, simply fill out this rebate form to receive back an additional $15! (Simply print and fill out this form and attach proof-of-payment of your Diapers.com qualifying purchase(s) and mail both pieces.)

Like I said, for those times when alternative deals on diapers seem scarce, this is a worthy purchase. :-)

Tagged... Just for You

I have to admit I was happy to be tagged in this random photo tag. I think they are so much fun!

Post the 4th photo in the 4th folder of your picture folders.

I guess it's no big surprise that my picture would be of... Morenna! Probably 80% of my pictures are, although I was kinda hoping maybe one of the lone 20% might be the one tagged. Oh well, I can't seem to get enough of the curious, cheerful face on this little tike. I snapped this picture earlier this month when she was standing at the wicker chair picking at it with her finger trying to understand the pattern.

And now, I tag Sarah M., Jessica, and Janice. You go girls!

Baking Day

Yesterday was baking day in our house. A new phenomena, but definitely a keeper. Why not dirty up measuring cups, spoons and bowls all at the same time?! It's great!

So want to know what we made? Whole wheat waffles*, banana crumb muffins, oat bran muffins*, and breakfast hot pockets. (*Recipe below.)

It was great fun and now my freezer is filled with yummy, healthy, items M can grab and take for breakfast on workdays.

Best of all, Morenna was well-behaved and emptied and examined all the items in her play cupboard while I cooked. It's so nice to freely move around the kitchen without a little one tugging on your pant leg.

Whole Wheat Waffles 1 3/4 cup wheat flour 1 3/4 cup buttermilk Combine and let soak overnight. Then mix in: 1 t. baking powder 1/2 t. salt 2 eggs 1/4 cup coconut oil (or I use 1/2 cup of applesauce) Pour batter onto greased waffle iron. Best if served with fruit syrup.

Oat Bran Muffins 2 cups oat bran 1/4 cup packed brown sugar 2 t. baking powder 1/2 t. salt 1 cup milk 2 T. oil (or 1/4 applesauce) 1/4 cup molasses 1 egg Mix all ingredients together and spoon into a greased or lined muffin pan. Bake at 425F for 15-17 minutes.

Valentine's Meets OBX

For Valentine's Day this year, my husband (and family!) gave me the greatest gift ever: time away with some girlfriends. It was perfect... and now I'm back with them feeling more refreshed and invigorated than ever.

My parents came over for the weekend and joined M in watching Morenna so that I could get away. Saturday I headed south to a beach house on the shores of Outer Banks, NC. There I joined up with seven girlfriends from college for a three day stay on the beach. Though it was super cold, it was beautiful. We pretty much laid around and ate, read, gazed over the horizon and watched old movies. It was wonderful to be without responsibility for a couple of days.

Me with one of my college roommates
and the host of our weekend.

Heaven shines down.

The gang, all together again.

Monday I made the trek back home and was so excited to be reunited with my family... especially my little girl. She did really well considering I was away for two nights. The smile on her face when I walked in was so valuable to me. I love being a Mom.

As a side note, you may be wondering, as some others have, why I would choose to celebrate Valentine's Day apart from my Valentine (now that I have one!). My answer is just this: my husband and I try to make every day Valentine's Day, in that each day we purposely make time to spend quietly with each other, reminding each other just how much we value and cherish the other. So while the card-manufacturer holiday is great for an excuse to go out to eat, sniff brilliant flowers or splurge on an extra 300 calories of chocolate (something else I do just about every day anyway :-) ), M and I don't see it as any more special of a day than today. And that's why my hubby was ok with me being away. :-)

The Finger...

Morenna's finger, that is. It goes where she goes and is her primary method of communication. Every now and then a companion grunt goes along with it... but for the most part it "says" all she needs to say.

"B-b-b-baby!"
Evidence of Morenna's latest fascination with babies,
toddlers and small children, all of whom she dubs: babies.

Her adoration of the garbage men... or truck.
I'm not sure which.

Not the same finger, but the same meaning.
There goes my good box of Wheat Thins.
Ever want to see the inside of my pantry? Ha!
Pretty pathetic after sticky-fingers has been on the scene. :-)

Crockpot BBQ Chicken

Many thanks to Erin over at $5 Dinners for her inspiration with this recipe. I simply added/adjusted a few more ingredients to her wonderful creation. My family loved this and it was so easy to do.

Crockpot BBQ Chicken

4 chicken breasts
8 slices of bacon
1 cup bbq sauce (I used KC Masterpiece Sweet & Tangy, and it was perfect)
3 T lemon juice
1 large granny smith apple, peeled & cored
1 T dried parsley (or fresh)
1 t. garlic powder
2 t. sea salt

Wrap chicken breasts with slices of bacon, 2 per breast. Place in a 6 quart crockpot (you could try 4 quart, but may need to lengthen cooking time, especially if your chicken is frozen).

In a bowl, shred apple and mix with bbq sauce, lemon juice, parsley, garlic powder, and salt. Spoon on top of chicken. (If your chicken is layered, place a bit of sauce between each layer). Cook on high for 4-6 hours, or on low for 6-8. If chicken is frozen, lengthen cooking time. Chicken should register 165F when fully cooked.

Enjoy!

Open & Closed

Doors are a new fascination for Morenna. Each day she giggles her way into our bathroom to push open and closed the bathroom door. Why she prefers our bathroom door to all the rest is still somewhat of a mystery, although my thought is that she can finagle herself around the door better on the slippery tile floor. For the last week I've been meaning to capture some of her joy on camera and finally got around to it today. (Note the drool. I told you she was teething.)

Some babies start crying when they discover they've closed themselves in a room and can't get out. Not mine. Once the latch clicks she'll laugh out loud and squeal. Then she goes about tearing the bathroom apart. She's smart. Too smart.

When she's not pulling all the towels down or banging on the tub, she likes to have things passed to her under the door. Today, she started sticking her fingers out and wiggling them around. Too cute!

Triple Coupon Days

It's triple coupon days again at Harris Teeter. I love when they do this! Today I scored free taco seasoning, free worcestershire sauce, 2 free cans of Del Monte vegetables, $0.50 Celestial Seasons Tea, $0.39 organic yogurt, $0.44 Wet Ones (antibacterial wipes) and $0.84 bacon, $0.85 Honey-Nut Cheerios, and more! For those of you on the East Coast with a HT nearby, here are some great coupon match-ups for you!

Walkin' 'n Talkin'

Morenna stands alone now. And she could definitely walk, if she wanted to. I really witness in her a certain fear of falling down. She'll walk all over the place if you hold her hand, or if she's focused on something she really wants... like food. Heaven help her. :-)

Here she is with her signature toothy grin. Aw, I could just eat her up.

Thriving

Dear Journal,

Thriving. I've often voiced to M since Morenna's been born my longing not just to "get by", but to "thrive".

I want to be as a tall oak by a flowing stream that gives brilliant beauty in every season. Beautiful. Useful. Strong.

Yet so often I feel as though I'm a cactus in a parched desert, with just enough water to make it through one more sun-scorched day. I offer little beauty to the world around me. No shade. Just sharp thorns for any passerby.

But even the cactus can flower. It's a choice.

Each tree is beautiful; each serves a purpose in bringing glory to God. I need to find contentment as either, for each relies on equal amounts of God's grace to get through the day.

"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."
~ 2 Corinthians 12:9

Feelin' Sew Sew?

I'm not big into sewing, but my mom always has been (and she's good at it!) and so I have the honor of owning all of her hand-me-down sewing hardware. My current stash boasts of her used (but definitely like-new) Bernette sewing machine. It's been sitting in my closet screaming "USE ME!!!" for quite some time now. I'm usually good at ignoring it, but this quick & easy sewing project is just what I needed to answer the call.

Here 'tis: A child's pool robe made out of a standard bath towel. Isn't it so cute!?

Many thanks to blogger How About Orange for alerting me of this great sewing opportunity. You can download the quick directions here.


Bet I can have mine done before you! ;-)

Sundays and Shadows

Peek-a-boo Toes, 1/11/2009

Crockpot Butternut Squash Soup

I was looking for a simple, but yummy meal to serve my family last week, seeing how there was a lot to do and my parents were coming.

So I decided to get creative and make butternut squash soup in the oh-so-easy crockpot. We had this delicious soup along with Banana Crumb Muffins and a big spinach salad. Yum!

Within the last 5 months, I have become a huge crockpot fanatic. It's saved my life (what little "life" might be left in me at the end of "one of those days"). Back in the fall I stumbled across the blog "A Year of Crockpotting" and it was love at first site. For Christmas, my husband bought me another crockpot (a 7 quart!) to add to my growing collection. Now all I need is the "little dipper" crockpot and I'll be all set! I would highly recommend you browse Stephanie's collection of recipes if you're looking for some inspiration.

And now, for my impromptu Butternut Squash Soup creation:

Butternut Squash Soup

3-5 lbs of peeled, seeded, and chopped (1" cubes) butternut squash
1 medium onion (chopped)
1 large granny smith apple
2 stalks celery (chopped)
3 cups of chicken broth
1/2 cup apple juice
Dash of: salt, pepper, cinnamon

Cook the above ingredients on high in a 6-7 quart crockpot for 4-6 hours, or until squash is very tender. (If you find the squash challenging to peel, you can always stick it in the microwave just until soft enough to peel).

Blend squash mixture using an immersible mixer or by placing small portions in a stand-alone mixer. *If pureeing while mixture is hot, be sure to vent the blender lid.

Return to crockpot and add:

4 oz cream cheese (cubed)
1 1/2 cups of heavy cream, half and half, or whipping cream
3 T. butter
1 T. sugar


Cook another 1 hour on medium/low, or until cream cheese is melted and fully blended.

Enjoy!

See, See My Playmate...

Come over and play with me! Aunt Rachel and Kavan came over today to play. Morenna and Kavan usually play well together, but lately we're wondering how the whole "sharing" thing is going to work. Kavan's actually pretty good at it... kinda. Morenna, however, doesn't really have a clue.

It seems to me that a 10-month-old might not quite understand the meaning of "share" when it only is associated with Mommy taking a toy and giving it to a peer. But we'll see how things go... any seasoned moms have suggestions for this?


And aren't Morenna's new little sneakers just the cutest things? Ok, I'll stop now.

One of those days...

Yesterday was "one of those days" in our house. While the snowfall that draped the Virginia countryside in dreamy white was breathtaking, it wasn't the beauty making me catch my breath. It was my baby girl. Yes, yesterday was one of those days where I never really completed anything I wanted to (well, ok, the laundry did get done... somehow), Morenna was constantly pushing my buttons (how does she do that at only 10 months?), my husband made a surprise visit home (skipping classes in light of the snow) and my patience/energy ran at an all time low. Yes, it was one of those days.

But you know what? Today isn't one of those days.

As a stay-at-home mom, I found this post a bit refreshing and a gentle reminder of why I (all of us moms) do what we do.

A Night Away...

Gosh, a night away with my best friend sounded like so much fun! And so many of you agreed with me that the Mandarin-Oriental DC hotel looked like just the place to kick back and relax. Boy, was I wrong. Let me share our weekend with you...

We arrived at the Mandarin around 2:30pm after a leisurely morning browsing the stores at the Pentagon City mall. We had reserved a premiere waterfront suite with a view of the Jefferson Memorial. Our view was definitely beautiful, but our room looked very little like this picture that represented it on the website. It was nowhere near this large. Here's what our room actually looked like:
And what the picture fails to show is the lovely set of railroad tracks directly under the windows. Every 30-60minutes your room starts vibrating when Amtrak thunders past. Great fun. And the furniture was pretty ratty.

As I mentioned, the view was lovely, but the windows were so dirty I couldn't take any good pictures through them. Major bummer. Here's the best one I was able to capture:

The bathroom was very classy, but the marble in the shower had rust stains and the wood vanity was scratched and smudged a great deal. Not the thing you would expect when staying at a five-star hotel and paying an arm and a leg.

We had called in the morning to schedule our reservations for dinner at the hotel's well-known restaurant, CityZen. Having not heard back from them upon check-in, we inquired if we could make a reservation for the evening... and were practically laughed out of the hotel. Apparently that restaurant's reservations fill up approx. 2 wks-2 months in advance. Oh.

I really can't tell you how disappointed we were. I had purchased a special Chinese dress (from Shanghai) for the occasion and, well, there were many other factors this hang-up complicated as well. I admit, at this point I started pouting. Big time. But after a lot of strange events (it would take too long to recount them all) we ended up being given a table for the 6:30pm seating. Thank you, Lord!

The food at the CityZen was delicious (though not even comparable to the stuff we raved about in St. Lucia)! Perhaps the most notable event was that I ate rabbit for the very first time. And it was really good! We did enjoy our time there, although our waitress left a lot to be desired (lots of fun stories there, but I'll save it for another time). But hey, it went with the theme of our weekend. :-) I wasn't able to capture any good pictures of us or the dress, but this kinda shows the artistry of the silk cheongsam. My husband adored it... which was all the mattered to me. :-)

On the whole, we would heartily discourage anyone from going to the Mandarin. I've left out a bunch of stories about the poor service and all the ways they nickle and dimed you out of your money. Probably the real breaking point for us was learning they had a $15 per 24 hour fee for wireless internet. Uh, come on! Even Super 8 motels have that for free. We had a far better experience (and far better suite - a bedroom, kitchen, and living room!!!) at the Reston Hyatt where we spent our wedding night. And it was half the price.

But should you think my weekend tale is over, it's not. On Sunday morning we found out that my mom had experienced some troubling symptons similar to retinal detachment with one of her eyes. Long story short, we had to head home early so she could make a visit to the ER. (Good news, it was a vitreous detachment, and not as much a cause for alarm.) So that definitely brought our already awkward weekend to a dramatic end.

::Sigh:: I need a weekend to recover from my weekend. :-P

Uh oh.

This morning I gave Morenna a box of Cheerios to play with. I should've guessed there might be a mess. :-) This is the first mess of any significance that she's created (I know all you seasoned moms are laughing at me right now) so I acted rather surprised when I saw it. Poor thing, she thought she had done something really wrong.

My parents are coming today and I can't wait. While I'm definitely excited to see them (and Morenna can't wait to see Uncle Buddy, the dog), perhaps my excitement more stems from the fact that they are coming so that M and I can leave. Yup, we're leaving Morenna overnight with Gramma and G-Daddy and heading off to the Mandarin-Oriental Washington D.C. for a night of peaceful sleep and sweet luxury. I. Can't. Wait. More on that later. :-)

Here's another semi-out-of-date, but favored picture of Morenna, below.

1/7/2009

Helpfulness

Today I noticed the beginning of a helpful "big-girl" attitude in Morenna, and what a joy it was! Her new favorite thing? Handing me the clothes out of the dryer.

For being so little, she certainly pulled those heavy clothes out well! I loved the joyful grin she gave me everytime I praised her. I'm so going to love teaching her how to run a home! :-)

Though about a month old, this picture shows something else she loves to help me with, though she's not too helpful...

It's Been A While

I stink at blogging. It's a vicious circle... I don't post, so I obviously don't have floods of people visit my blog. And often when I think of something interesting to post... well, I figure I don't have any visitors so it's not worth it. Silly, huh.

Most of you know that I publish an e-newsletter about the latest goings on with our family. I originally wanted to post all my newsletters here, but didn't want to wrestle with making my blog private. But a new wind might be blowing. Stay tuned for more.

M and I have been really busy with work/school/parenting challenges, hence the lengthy absence. But I know some family members are going to kill me if I don't start updating them on our goings-on, especially with Morenna growing up so quickly! So here's my hopefully-not-empty promise to resume regular blogging soon.

And keep in mind that I will probably make this blog private if I do end up posting often, so if that happens just email me or drop me a note on facebook.

In the meantime, here was our family Christmas 2008 picture for those of you who may not have seen it. :-)

.... A Lot Like Christmas

Christmas has made it's way to our house, albeit a little delayed on account of a hubby with the flu and a little one with a bad cold. But nevertheless, we've had a batch of Spritz Cookies, some Peanut Butter Blossoms and this evening I turned out a dozen homemade Truffles (above). Mmmm. They make such great gifts and are so pretty, rolled in almonds, coconut, powdered sugar and Christmas sugar. Not to mention, well, I mean they're chocolate. :-)

And for those of you who receive our bi-weekly newsletters... no, I haven't forgotten about them. Things have been just so busy that I hadn't had a spare second to turn them out. If you don't get our newsletter, and would like to, feel free to just leave a comment or shoot me off an email.

Merry Christmas to all!

Sing sweet and low your lullaby till angels say, "Amen." A mother tonight is rocking a cradle in Bethlehem while wise men follow through the dark a star that beckons them. A mother tonight is rocking a cradle in Bethlehem. "A little child shall lead them," the prophets said of old. In storm and tempest keep 'em until the bells is tolled. Sing sweet and low your lullaby till angels say, "Amen." A mother tonight is rocking a cradle in Bethlehem. choir Sing sweet and low your lullaby.

Home as a Haven

I was encouraged and motivated by two ladies who decided to challenge themselves in making their home a haven (see here and here) for their family. I know I could always stand improvement and godly counsel in that area. So following their lead, I thought I'd post about how I'm trying to make my home a haven, specifically in keeping it tidy.

I'm in no way OCD about keeping my house clean... but as I mentioned before, I can't stand major messes and crumbs on the floor. Keeping a three story townhouse clean has been a challenge, though. Not to mention I have a hard time devoting a whole day (or week!) to cleaning. So I created a six-week plan that helps me keep the whole house clean, and the other odd household jobs in order. It's worked great for me so far, but better yet, my husband loves coming home to a tidy house (most days :-) ). It's far from fool proof, and there are some days I just don't get things done (as visitors to my house can definitely witness), but it's been very helpful to keep me on track.

What I Did on Sunday Morning...

Why, CVS of course! I rarely drag myself out of bed in time to arrive at CVS at opening time, but this morning was different. And boy was I glad I did.

Maybe it was the fact I was sleep deprived (didn't get to bed until 2am due to a caffeinated beverage mistake and a hungry, teething, child... and then up again at 5am for a comforting session), but I arrived at CVS early this morning and was the first customer thru the doors.

Here's what I scored...

(1) Jumbo pack of Huggies Supreme diapers - $2/18.99
(2) Crest Pro-Health Toothpastes - $3.49 each
(2) Palmolive Dish Soap - $1.49 each
(1) Fructis Hair Mousse - $2.99
(1) St. Ives Body Wash - $3.99
(1) L'Oreal Skin Revitalizer - $11.99
(1) Glageau Smart Water - $1.59
(1) Chapstick Shimmer - $2.99
(2) Stayfree MaxiPads - $3.89 each
(1) Starbucks Chocolate bar - $2.99

Here are the coupons I used:

$1 Huggies
2 - $1 Crest toothpastes
$1/2 Palmolive
$1 Fructis
expired $1 St. Ives (I was so elated to find that my store excepts expired coupons!)
$1 L'Oreal
$2/2 Stayfree
$1.50 Starbucks chocolate

The total came to just over $56. I used my $10 off $50 CVS coupon pluse the $28+ in ExtraCare bucks from last time.

Total OOP: $5.29

And I also have a manufacturer rebate for the chapstick... so in reality I only paid $2.30 for all of it. In my mind, that's $2.30 for diapers! Whoo hoo!

And I have over $30 in ExtraCare bucks for my next trip.

If you weren't a CVS believer before... maybe you are now?

In a Given Day

It was so nice to have a weekend. Matt took baby duty for most of Sunday and I felt like a free woman again. We spent time pulling out the horrid ornamental grass from our front landscaping. Matt figured he got in a good workout. And when I wasn't outside enjoying the beautiful day, I was inside tinkering around with my newest hobby: digital scrapbooking. It's got me hooked.

I'm not really into super complex scrapbooking pages, but I certainly appreciate the simple stuff. And it's a good thing, too, because I'm not as creative as I'd like to be. :-) But anyway, I digress.

It was so refreshing and I was more than ready to pack up Morenna and descend upon the great and mighty CVS for our weekly visit. We didn't fair too badly, I might add.


One transaction afforded us:

- (1) mega-pack of Huggies Diapers
- (1) Always Infinity Pads
- (1) Bayer Breeze 2 Glucose Monitor (great donation for a pregnancy care center or just to sell in a garage sale!)
- (4) SoyJoy bars

I used:
- $10 off purchase of $50 CVS coupon
- $1 mnf. coupon for Huggies / $2 CVS coupon for Huggies
- $2 mnf. coupon for Always + $4.99 rain check from two weeks ago for a free box
- $buy-one-get-one for SoyJoy (= $1)
- $30 mnf. coupon for Bayer Monitor (in this week's RedPlum)
- $1.67 ExtraCare buck

I spent: $1.71

In return: I got another $5 in ExtraCare bucks, bringing my current total up to $29. Holy cow. Need anything from CVS?

Ahh, I heart CVS. Not to mention there is also a manufacture mail-in rebate on the monitor box. Should they affort a full price-paid refund, it would be a $30 money-maker! Yeah, I heart CVS.

Individualism vs. Education

Matt and I wrote this post for the BreakPoint "The Point" blog.

Here is the quote we wanted, but couldn't, place at the end:

When an opponent declares, "I will not come over to your side," I calmly say, "Your child belongs to us already... What are you? You will pass on. Your descendants, however, now stand in the new camp. In a short time they will know nothing else but this new community."

~ Adolf Hitler

Touche.

Toys for the Housewife

(Get your mind out of the gutter)

Otherwise Entitled: Ode to My Swiffer Duster

I can't believe I'm actually dedicating precious time and energy to blogging about this, but allow me to say: I love my new Swiffer Duster!

I bought one at random last night as part of a huge (but inexpensive) CVS purchase and I haven't stopped swiffering (is that a word) since I opened the box. Unlike other dusters that simply push the dust around, the Swiffer really does pick up all the little dust particles. It's perfect for any type of dusting job.

But the best part of all is that it's incredibly fluffy and soft. It just begs to be pet between jobs.

Ok. Did I really just say that?

CVS for Newbies

Lately a couple of you have mentioned your interest in bargain shopping at CVS. You go girls!

The deals are amazing, the bargains, endless (well, we wish they were)... and overall, it's really not a complicated way to save hundreds of dollars. I thought about doing a little "how-to" post for getting started CVS-ing, but then I noticed that the frugal blogger, Thrifty Mama, is actually doing a great informative series for beginners. Feel free to follow her along, here.

One thing worth mentioning: as a new shopper, you can either sign up for CVS' extracare program online or in the store. Should you decide to try your hand at the sales this week (following Thrifty Mama's program), you'll definitely need to sign up in the store so that your card is activated immediately.


And not to steal the spotlight from CVS by any means, but RiteAid pharmacy has some incredible deals on over-the-counter medications this week. The October monthly rebate offers line up perfectly with many of the cold/flu items on sale this week.

All of the items in the picture at right, I got for free after rebate. Not only that, but for the Children's Advil and the Excedrin, I was able to use $3 in coupons, plus the Sucrets came with a manufacture $1.50 mail-in-rebate! It's pretty nice to be paid $4.50 to stock up on medication for the winter season! :-) Check out MoneySavingMom for a listing of the 30 items that are free after rebate for this week.

CVS 10/5-10/11

So my CVS posts have been a bit absent of late - my apologies. Here was my run for this week, and what a great week it was!

Transaction One

• Bic Soleil Razor $5.99
  
• Tylenol Gels $6.00
• Vitamin Water $2.29
  
• Always Infinity $4.98
• Colgate Toothpaste $2.99

Total + tax: $22.31

Used:
$2 off Bic, available here
$2 off Tylenol (9/14 Red Plum)
$1 off Colgate Max (9/28 SmartSource) + $1 CVS Register Coupon for Colgate

$14.99 in ExtraCare bucks

Total Out-of-Pocket: $1.32
ECB's Earned: $13.27

---

Transaction Two

• Tylenol PM Gelcaps $6.00
• (2) Children's Tylenol $6.00 each
  
• CVS Kid's Hand Sanitizer $1.99
  

Total: $19.99

Used:
$2 off Tylenol PM (9/7 RedPlum)
$2 off (2) Children's Tylenol (9/14 SmartSource)

$13.27 in ECBs

Total Out-of-Pocket: $2.72
ECBs earned: $11.00

I was pretty pleased with these deals, but my savings could've been better. I bought the kids sanitizer because I thought I needed a filler item (so that my total was enough that I could use all my ECBs earned in the previous transaction), but I didn't need it after all. So if I hadn't bought that, I would've only paid $0.72 for the second transaction, and would have earned $10 in ECBs instead of $11. But as I reminded myself on the trip home, it's still only $4 for all those items. :-)

The Proof

"Mommamama" might have been the first spoken word... but it only counts when you get it on camera. And so, friends, I give you... "Da-Da". Forgive the shaky video. :-)

Gettin' 'em started early...

My dad has been hinting for a while that he wanted to take Morenna for her first ride on a 4-wheeler. Until recently, my answer was an adamant "NO!". But for whatever reason - perhaps the fact that I wholeheartedly trust my Dad? - I gave in and let him take her for a ride. I completely expected the typical Morenna breakdown that occurs anytime she's around loud noises, people she doesn't know, things she doesn't like, etc. But I was pleasantly surprised that she took it all in stride and even gave a brief smile at the end. I guess she trusts her G-Daddy, too. :-)

This video is a little blurry and there's no sound (I need a new camera!), but at least you can get the gist of the event.

PS: Naked content disclaimer - It was a really hot day and Morenna had spit up all over her clothes, so I just gave up. :-)

Dinner with the Schwartz's

Pork Chops with Cranberry Pear Sauce... a la Schwartz!

3-5 medium thick-sliced pork chops
salt/pepper/garlic powder
2 T. butter, divided
2 T. apple juice
1 T. lemon juice
2 t. honey
2 T. dried cranberries
1 red pear
1 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. cloves

Melt 1 1/2 T of butter in a medium skillet over high heat. Generously coat pork chops (both sides) with sea salt, pepper and garlic powder and place into skillet. Allow to fry until browned. Turn and cover. Meanwhile, mix apple juice, lemon juice, honey and cranberries in a small saucepan and allow to soak for 5 minutes. Thinly slice pear. Add to cranberry mixture along with remaining butter, cinnamon and cloves. Cover. Bring to boil and cook until slightly thickened. Uncover pork chops and allow to fry in juices for another 5 minutes. Remove and top with sauce.

Image courtesy of www.wholefoodsmarket.com

Our Day (By Morenna, and by proxy, Mommy)

Our day included getting up at 6:45 for no apparent reason...

Our day included a mega trip to Harris Teeter for triple coupon days where we passed the time trying to overcome the hiccups without crying too loudly...

Our day included one 10-minute morning nap that was prematurely ended by the trash truck...

Our day included three poopy diapers...

Our day included ruining clothes four different times, though not by said poopy diapers...

Our day included one 10-minute afternoon nap that was prematurely ended by the recycling truck (no offense guys, but could you please keep a twenty-mile radius from our house during sleeping and non-sleeping hours? Otherwise you will have a bad case of Mommy-Rage)...

Our day included more than two clocked hours in the rocking chair and two Andy Griffith Shows trying to induce sleep...

Our day included petitioning Daddy to skip class to rescue us from the brink of sleep-deprivation insanity...

Our day... still continues.

But sleep must come sometime, right?

A little somethin' somethin'

A wonderful recipe for a yummy, but healthy, drink! M and I tried this tonight and loved it. I took the original recipe and added a few changes. Enjoy!

Virgin Mango Pina-Colada

1 mango - peeled, seeded and cubed
3/4 cups ice cubes
2 teaspoons white sugar
1 cup frozen pineapple
1/3 cup water
1 (14 ounce) can coconut milk

Blend well in a blender.

CVS 8/24-8/30

Pretty good run for CVS this week. There were a couple different ways to organize my purchases for this week; a good reminder of the value in playing around with the different transaction combinations for your purchases in order to score the best deal. The list below includes all the items I bought, but is organized for the buyer to pay the least out of pocket (OOP). However, though cheaper, doing the transactions in the order below will leave you with no leftover ExtraCare Bucks (ECBs). And to me, that is a sad thing. So at the end I'll tell you how I did things a little differently.

Transaction One

• Zipfizz Sports Drink(my husband adores this stuff so I was super excided when it was on sale!) - $5.99
• Kotex Liners $1.49
• (2) CVS hand sanitizers - $2.99 each

Total: $13.46 + tax

Used:
- $2/$10 CVS coupon (available here, page 30)
- $1 Kotex coupon (7/20 SmartSource) and also here.
- (2) $2 CVS Skincare, available here.
- $5 ECB (from last week)

Total OOP: $1.46 + Tax

Received:
$5.99 ECB for Zipfizz
$1.49 ECB for Kotex
$1.00 ECB for hand sanitizer


Transaction Two

Zipfizz Sports Drink - $5.99

Total: $5.99 + tax
Use: $5.99 ECB from transaction one
Total OOP: Tax

Receive: $5.99 for Zipfizz

Transaction Three

Huggies Mega diapers - $13.99

Total: $13.99 + tax
Used:
- $2/$10 CVS coupon (available here, page 30)
- $2 CVS coupon for Huggies (received as printout for scanning my card at the ExtraCare box)
- $1 manufacturer coupon
- $5.99 ECB; $1.49ECB; $1.00ECB

Total OOP: $0.51 + tax

Overall, a terrific deal for diapers! However, since I wanted to have ECBs left over for next week, I actually did only two transactions.

Transaction One included (1) Zipfizz; (1) Kotex; (1) CVS hand sanitizer; = Total OOP: $1.49.

Transaction Two included (1) Huggies Mega pack; (1) Zipfizz; (1) CVS hand sanitizer; = Total OOP: $9.19.

Still not a bad deal considering the diapers. And now I have a $5.99 ECB (Zipfiz) and a $1.00 ECB (hand sanitizer) left over for next week. Sound complicated? It really isn't... :-)